Now that Spring Break is almost here, many of you may be rushing to organize a college tour. Hopefully you’ve done the preliminary planning by now. If not, check out my blog entry, “Tips for Planning a College Tour.” Now it’s time to start thinking about what you hope to gain from that long car ride with your family and those spotty visits to the places that until now you’ve only dreamed about. Well, I’ve already been through the process so here are some tips to get the most out of your college visits.
1. Ask Questions! - When buying a car it’s important to know as much about the vehicle as possible; the campus tour works the same way. Admissions officers and tour guides are trained to answer the many questions that you may have regarding their institution so don’t be afraid to ask! You’ll get so much more out of a tour by participating rather than simply following. (If you’re shy, hang around for a bit and then talk to the officer or tour guide in private). I personally did not ask as many questions as I should have, and am very sorry that I did not.
2. Evaluate the Student Guide - Most tours offer a model student to guide you around the campus. Keying into the attitude of the student guide can give you a whole new perspective about the campus as a whole. If the student seems like someone that you would hang around with, most likely other students will have a similar disposition. Again, ask as many questions as possible and be an active audience.
3. Evaluate the Campus - Do you like what you’re seeing? Can you imagine yourself living here for the next four years? Make sure to ask yourself these questions as you take the tour. Also make sure to check out a typical residence. The atmosphere and surrounding environment could be a key in deciding which institution is best suited toward you. I for example heard wonderful things about George Washington University, but could not stand the urban setting.
4. How’s the Food? - Try and get a sample of the school cafeteria food—most colleges are now putting emphasis into this area. Ask about meal plans, evaluate the different meal options. Also try and go into the (usually) surrounding area and see if there are any nice restaurants where you may like to hang out in the subsequent four years.
5. How’s the Area? - Food has already been covered, but how’s the area surrounding the campus? Or is it just a campus? Getting a feel for the general atmosphere of the surrounding area will give you better perspective about the college and its desirability. Notre Dame for example has a beautiful campus, but the town is nothing to look at.
6. Don’t Rank Your Colleges - Make sure that you don’t get your mind set on a single college, you might not get in. Keep your options open and concentrate on the positive aspects of all the colleges you visit and not just the negatives.
7. Get to know your family better - These are the people most likely paying your college tuition so it might be a good idea to get to know them a bit better during all those hours in the car. Discover things about them that you never knew, and if you have been on rocky terms, use this opportunity to ensure you head for college on good terms. If you have younger siblings who come along, make sure that their memories of you are fond ones—you probably won’t see them for weeks, months or years at a time after leaving.
8. Have some fun!- One of the best parts of the college road trip is seeing parts of the country that you’ve never seen before so make the most of it! I got to visit the Mall of America and a Wisconsin cheese shop! Simply driving and visiting colleges is wasting a good vacation!
